Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-06-02
trip at one time and wanted a young

man to join him in the purchase of /;
large tract of land near Fort Dearborn
This was over forty years ago. This
man, whose name was Morgan. declined
failing to see any money in the venture
The old man gave it up himself, anC
both men liVedstO regret it-for before
his death Genin saw Chicago spread be-
yond the land he wanted to buy, anC
which to-day is worth S20000,0OO.
The old man had the appearance OF
a miser. AT the village inn here one
night he met man from Stark county
Genin owned some land there, and want
ed the stranger to take up money and
pay the taxes. This he promised to do
saying that he would pay out of bis
own pocket and allow Genin to remit
At this Genin smiled and assented. La
ter on be man from Stark wrote back
that he was amazed to find Genin's pos
sessions so great and could not begin to
advance the money.
Genin was believer in spirits. There
is lawyer in Cincinnati who came from
here and was named for the old man
sylvester Genin Williams. His parents
had wonderful dog. 1t could do all
but talk. The elder Williams was a
teacher at Wheeling, returning home
every Friday evening. This dog would
go down to meet him each Friday evei
ming, never making a mistake any other
day of the week. This dog was the Won
der of the country, and 1t night was
never known to leave the bonse ans
watched. However, one night GeniB
was attacked in the road by footpads,
and would have been killed, or at least
robbed, if this dog had not appeared
upon the scene suddenly and routed the
robbers. The old man, knowing the
kome-staying habit of the animal, al
ways declared that his sudden appear
ance that night was due TO spirits which
had sent him IS a preserver.
Gen B. r. Cowen, of Cincinnati, now
clerk of the U. S. Courts, is one of the
famous sons of Belmont, and his fami-
ly is one of renOwn. Gen. Cowen was
born at Mooreheld. Harrison county ,and
brought up at st. Clairsyille. where for
years he was editor of the county paper.
The BELMONT CHRONICLE. Suisse
quently be became lawyer. was Adju-
tsDt General of the State, and became a
General in the Union army. He was
1eld, went home, served in the Office
three months, and then resigned to once
more join his regiment at the front.
A firm friend of Gen. Grant, he be-
came Assistant Secretary of the Interior
under Grant. His future appointment
as United States Clerk is well known.
and no man in Ohio stands higher in
public esteem. His father, Benjamin S.
Cowen, was physician and eminent in
Ohio affairs.
AS a coadjutor of Alfred Kelly in the
Legislai ure, Judge COwen was mainly
responsible for the tax law of 1S47, which
was revolution of Ohio finances, and
has never been changed. A brother of
Gen. Cowen, D. Duane TOmpkins Cow
en-. was an eminent lawyer, and had the
largest practice of Eastern Ohio. He
died few years ago in the prime of man.
hood and in the zenith of his success as
a lawyer Chief Justice Waite, at a
banquet given in bis favor Ia washing
ton after his appointment, pointed to
Gen. B. r. COwen and said: That mans
brother is the best lawyer in Ohio,"-a
compliment of rare sort.
1t is not necessary to state that Bel
mont county has other eminent men.
Gov. Shannon, who defeated COrwin
once and was once defeated by him, was
born in the county. and represented the
district in Congress. He was brilliant
statesman, but incurred some unpopur
larity In Ohio for voting in favor of
making Kansas a slave State. There
were four Ohio Congressman guilty of
that erTor-Disney, Olds, Green and
shannon.
1t was Gen. Cowen who assailed this
action editorially in peculiar and
unique fashion by asking the public to
judge the men by the acrostic fashion:
Disney,
O-lds,
G reen.
Shannon.
This was taken up by every snti-sla
very paper in the nation. Later, Shan>
non became Governor of Kansas Terri
tory.
Judge Kennon was a prominent man
here years ago. He was sent to Congress
at 25, and was impulsive enough to be-
lieve it his duty to comb the hair of Jno
Quincy Adams who sat near him.
KennOn prepared speech full of i'm
vective and abuse of Adams, and had
it been delivered to-day would have been
a magnificent affair. Alas. Keunon
played pigmy against the giant. He
hayed the ex-President without mercy,
and expected the honor of a reciprocal
laying. But during the speech Adams
kept reading, totally unconcerned. He
made no reply. and Kennon was stuper
fed by kingly silence. Next day be met
Adams in the rotunda, and at least ex+
pected a personal reference to that terri
ble speech. The old man grasped Ken>
hons hand cheerfully, and said: "Why.
good morning, young man; glad to see
you" That was all. Adams never be.
trayed any Knowledge of the speech, and
KennOn never got over it. He died
few years ago.
Wilson s. Kennon. also of Belmont.
was appointed Gen. Governs successor
as Secretary of State when he resigned,
but was defeated for election by the
present Postmaster of Cleveland, W. w.
Armstrong.
Daniel Peck. an old and celebrated
lawyer of the county, died a year ago at
the age of ninety. There was another
Kennon called Fargus, or Junior, who
became Judge. There are Others of
more moderate eminence and renown in
the county, but of these and some i'm
tsresting historical events / shall speak
in another letter. F. B. q.
SOME of the Democratic papers have
been pointing with pride" to the fact
that two Republicans we're indicted for
election frauds at Indianapolis. They